Veterinarian Shawn Thomas sees need, opens clinic in Tanasbourne

Eric Apalategui Dr. Shawn Thomas gives Bella, his sister's dog, a quick look while waiting for pet emergencies at his new Tanasbourne Veterinary-Emergency clinic. Bella was in for a visit rather than medical care.

A week after Tanasbourne Veterinary-Emergency opened, New Year's Eve passed quietly at the only emergency pet clinic in the Hillsboro and Beaverton area that's open all night, every weekend and major holidays.

Dr. Shawn Thomas, the clinic's owner and only staff veterinarian, designed and with the help of friends and family built out the clinic, which he filled with state-of-the-art diagnostic and surgical equipment. All of it sat idle on this particular night, as he sipped a chai latte from Insomnia Coffee Co. next door in a small shopping center just off Northwest Cornell Road and waited for a dog or cat that needed quick care.

"You know there's emergencies this weekend," Thomas said.

But most local pet owners haven't yet heard about his new clinic at 2338 N.W. Amberbrook Drive, so they drive to the Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin or DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital in Northwest Portland.

Several nights since New Year's Eve have been busier, Thomas said. The lack of patients bothers him not so much from a business standpoint as because it means some pet owners might not get their animals to clinics quickly.

"It just pulls on your heartstrings," he said. "It's needed out here."

Thomas has been handling an average of a couple of pet emergencies a night. He's spent more time working with family and friends to finish the interior of the former Christian supply store and introducing himself to other veterinarians and animal owners.

"I want them to get to know me a little bit before they send me their patients," Thomas said.

Dr. Keith Gordon, owner of Walnut Street Veterinary Clinic in Hillsboro, doesn't think Thomas will have to wait long for his clinic to pick up steam.

"I think there's a huge need on the west side here," said Gordon, who already has referred overnight patients to Thomas. "For the type of medicine he plans to offer, I don't think he's going to have a hard time.

Thomas does not make daytime appointments. Instead, he works on after-hours emergency cases, then refers pets back to their regular vets for follow-up. While he performs emergency surgeries and other complex procedures when necessary, he is a general practitioner.

"I have a lot of people I can call who are specialists," he said.

His clinic is tiny compared to DoveLewis, which has 15 staff veterinarians, including specialists, plus another six temporary veterinarians serving as interns and residents. The Emergency Veterinary Clinic of Tualatin's staff includes five veterinarians, and they also have relief veterinarians to call in.

Thomas has 10 part- and full-time employees, from technicians to receptionists, to cover untraditional office hours. He plans to hire another vet when patient volume increases; for now he has arrangements with fellow veterinarians to fill in on a relief basis. He covers most of the 15-hour night and 24-hour weekend shifts himself.

"It's just part of the game," said Thomas, whose wife and 3-year-old daughter often visit when he's not handling an emergency. "If this is what it takes to be an emergency vet, this is what you do."

Thomas, 32, first saw the need for an emergency veterinary clinic in the Sunset Corridor years ago, when he earned a bachelor's degree and wrestled four years at Pacific University in Forest Grove. He then worked as a technician at the Cornell Center Animal Hospital in northwest Beaverton before going to veterinary school.

He knew he wanted to be a veterinarian long before that, while growing up outside Rogue River in southern Oregon and helping on his grandfather's dairy.

"I was always around animals. Probably around 6 or 8, I told my mom this is what I wanted to do," he said.

He earned his doctor of veterinary medicine degree at Oregon State University in 2007 and until last month worked for VCA Animal Hospitals, which operates two emergency clinics on Portland's eastside. At the VCA in Salem, he often worked Sunday and evening shifts, when emergency care was common.

"On Sundays, it was a MASH unit sometimes," he said. "I like the pace of it. You almost feel like you're helping out a little more."